Nujoma’s army was key in defeating Unita – Shalli

Retired Namibian Defence Force lieutenant general Martin Shalli says the defence force was instrumental in the defeat of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita).

his is despite historical records that showed founding president Sam Nujoma and Swapo were close to Unita leader Jonas Savimbi in the early days of the liberation struggle. Swapo also depended on the Soviet Union – which supported Unita’s opponents, the People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) – to supply armed weapons.

Speaking at one of Nujoma’s memorial services in Windhoek on Tuesday, Shalli said Nujoma signed an executive order to deploy Namibian armed forces into Angola, and within a few weeks Unita was defeated.

This was after Unita started to terrorise Namibian citizens in the former Kavango region.

Namibia formally joined the Angolan civil war in 1999 when it allowed the Angolan military, known as Angolan Armed Forces (FAA), to launch attacks on Unita from Namibian soil.

Nujoma said he would keep Namibian troops in Angola until Unita, which was reportedly terrorising the Kavango region at the time, was destroyed. Namibia only withdrew its soldiers after Savimbi’s death in February 2002.

“When Unita was terrorising our people in Kavango, the chief commander, Nujoma, signed a stabilisation executive order and before Unita knew, we were operating 250 kilometres into their territory,” said Shalli.

He also said Nujoma signed another executive order to deploy troops in Angola and help the Angolan defence force defeat Unita.

“Within a few weeks Savimbi was dead and Unita ceased to exist as a terror organisation,” said Shalli.

The retired lieutenant general proposed that a medal be created in honour of the founding president, and awarded to individuals who have done exceptional work.

Shalli said other presidents could also be honoured with a medal.

“It will be given to all our presidents. And I say all our presidents, because Swapo still has many more presidents to come,” the retired general said.

Shalli said Namibia should take pride in the defence force Nujoma built, saying the founding president envisioned a force that was small, highly mobile and equipped for any battle.

“Today, Namibia’s defence force is a force we must be proud of. For four years when we were deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, we never lost a battle,” he said.

The founding president was also described as a leader who never showed fear in the face of a battle.

Erastus Negonga, another former commander in the army during the liberation struggle, said: “Nujoma was the chief commander of the army and he never showed any discomfort.”

He said Nujoma was an unrelenting strategist on the battlefield. “Nujoma would call us as army commanders and come up with strategies to attack,” he said.

The Journal of Southern African Studies says following the collapse of relationships between Unita and Swapo in 1976, Swapo refused to acknowledge its former ally.

The historical relationship between Unita and Swapo broke down in 1975 when the MPLA got the upper hand after receiving support from the Soviet Union.

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